This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-143424, filed May 24, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for coating a resist solution onto a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer and liquid crystal display substrate, and developing a resist coated film.
In the case where a semiconductor device is manufactured by utilizing a photolithography, use is made of a system with a substrate processing apparatus (coating/developing apparatus) and light exposure apparatus combined.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional substrate processing apparatus includes a cassette section 10, a coating block S1, developing block S2 and interface section 51 and is connected to a light exposure apparatus S3 through the interface section 51. Such substrate processing apparatus is operated as will be set out below.
A sub-arm conveying mechanism not shown takes out a wafer W from a cassette C and conveys it to a first passing base 11. A first main arm conveying mechanism MA1 takes out the wafer W from a first passing base 11 and conveys it to the coating unit 12, heat treating section 15 and second passing base 13. Then a second main arm conveying mechanism MA2 takes out the wafer W from the second passing base 13 and conveys it to a third passing base 14. Then, the sub-arm conveying mechanism, not shown, takes out the wafer W from a third passing base 14, conveys it to an interface section 51 and passes it to a transfer arm mechanism, not shown, of the light exposure apparatus S3. And the wafer W is transferred to a light exposure stage and a resist coated film is patterned with a light exposure.
The wafer W is conveyed, in a backward path reverse to that set out above, from the light exposure apparatus S3 to the third passing base 14. The second main arm conveying mechanism MA2 takes out the wafer W from the third passing base 14 and conveys it to a heat treating section 17, developing unit 16 and second passing base 13. Then the first main arm conveying mechanism MA1 takes out the wafer W from the second passing base 13 and conveys it to the first passing base 11. The sub-arm conveying mechanism takes out the wafer W from the first passing base 11 and stores it in the cassette C.
In recent times, an anti-reflective film has been used to coat it on the upper or lower side of the resist film and its dedicated-use coating unit has been adopted within the coating block S1. For this reason, more number of steps are required in the coating block S1 and an increasing burden is borne on the first main arm conveying mechanism MA1. In the conventional system, however, the first main arm conveying mechanism MA1 not only conveys the wafer W in the coating block S1 but also bears a burden to allow the wafer W to be passed between the cassette section 10 and the developing block S2, so that an excess burden is borne on the mechanism. For this reason, the wafer W stays longer in the developing block S2 side in a stand-by state and the throughput is lowered.
In the developing block S2, each processing has to be done in a predetermined shorter time and each unit in the developing block S2 contends with other units for the second main arm conveying mechanism MA2. In addition thereto, the second main conveying mechanism MA2 has also a burden to allow the wafer W to be passed between the interface section 51 and the coating block S1, so that it bears an excessive burden. For this reason, the wafer W stays longer in the interface section 51 in a stand-by state and the throughput is lowered.
It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus which can alleviate a burden on a main arm conveying mechanism and ensures a higher throughput.
(1) There is provided a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention which processes substrates one by one in accordance with a photolithography, comprising a cassette section for loading/unloading a plurality of cassettes; a first sub-arm conveying mechanism provided in the cassette section to insert and take out the substrate into and from the cassette; a first processing block provided adjacent to the cassette section and having a plurality of coating units for coating a resist solution onto the substrate; and interface section provided adjacent to a second processing block for exposing, with light, a resist-coated film formed on the substrate by the coating unit; a third processing block provided between the interface section and the first processing block and, having a plurality of developing units for developing the resist coated film exposed by the second processing block with light; a first main arm conveying mechanism provided in the first processing block to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the first sub-arm conveying mechanism and to allow the substrate to be inserted into and taken out from the coating unit; a third main arm conveying mechanism provided in the third processing block to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the first main arm conveying mechanism and to allow the substrate to be inserted into and taken out from the developing unit; a second sub-arm conveying mechanism provided in the interface section to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the third main arm conveying mechanism and to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the second processing block; a forward bypath so provided as to extend from the first processing block to the third processing block and having one end extending toward the neighborhood of the cassette section and the other end extending toward the neighborhood of the interface section; and a forward direct feeding mechanism movable along the forward bypath and so provided as to prevent an interference with the third main arm conveying mechanism, the forward direct feeding mechanism receiving the substrate coated with the resist by the coating unit from the first main arm conveying mechanism and directly feeding the substrate from the first processing block to the interface section.
According to the above-mentioned invention, the resist-coated substrate is fed by the forward direct feeding mechanism from the first processing block straight toward the interface section, thus alleviating a burden on the third main arm conveying mechanism in the third processing block (developing block).
(2) There is provided a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention which processes substrates one by one in accordance with a photolithography, comprising a cassette section for loading and unloading a plurality of cassettes; a first sub-arm conveying mechanism provided in the cassette section to insert and take out the substrate into and from the cassette; a first processing block provided adjacent to the cassette section and having a plurality of coating units for coating a resist solution onto the substrate; an interface section provided adjacent to a second processing block for exposing, with light, the resist coated film formed on the substrate by the coating unit; a third processing block provided between the interface section and the first processing block, and having a plurality of developing units for developing the resist coated film exposed with light by the second processing block; a first main arm conveying mechanism provided in the first processing block to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the first sub-arm conveying mechanism and to allow the substrate to be inserted into and taken out from the coating unit; a third main arm conveying mechanism provided in the third processing block to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the first main arm conveying mechanism and to allow the substrate to be inserted into and taken out from the developing unit; a second sub-arm conveying mechanism provided in the interface section to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the third main arm conveying mechanism and to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the second processing block; a backward bypath so provided as to extend from the first processing block to the third processing block and having one end extending toward the neighborhood of the cassette section and the other end extending toward the neighborhood of the interface section; and a backward direct feeding mechanism movable along the backward bypath and so provided as to prevent an interference with the first main arm conveying mechanism, the backward direct feeding mechanism receiving the substrate developed by the developing unit from the third main arm conveying mechanism and directly feeding the substrate from the third processing block to the cassette section.
According to the above-mentioned invention, the developed substrate is fed by the backward direct feeding mechanism from the third processing block straight to the cassette section and, therefore, this alleviates a burden on the first main arm conveying mechanism in the first processing block (resist coating block).
(3) There is provided a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention which processes substrates one by one in accordance with a photolithography, comprising a cassette section for loading/unloading a plurality of cassettes; a first sub-arm conveying mechanism provided in the cassette section and having a plurality of coating units for coating a resist solution onto the substrate; an interface section provided adjacent to a second processing block for exposing, with light, a resist coated film formed on the substrate by the coating unit; a third processing block provided between the interface section and the first processing block, and having a plurality of developing units for developing the resist coated film exposed with light by the second processing block; a first main arm conveying mechanism provided in the first processing block to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the first sub-arm conveying mechanism and to insert and take out the substrate into and from the coating unit; a third main arm conveying mechanism provided in the third processing block to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the first main arm conveying mechanism and to allow the substrate to be inserted into and taken out from the developing unit; a second sub-arm conveying mechanism provided in the interface section to allow the substrate to be passed to and from the third main arm conveying mechanism and to allow the substrate to be also passed to and from the second processing block; a forward bypath so provided as to extend from the first processing block to the third processing block and having one end extending toward the neighborhood of the cassette section and the other end extending toward the neighborhood of the interface section; a forward direct feeding mechanism movable along the forward bypath and so provided as to prevent an interference with the third main arm conveying mechanism, the forward direct feeding mechanism receiving the substrate coated with the resist by the coating unit from the first main arm conveying mechanism and directly feeding the substrate from the first processing block to the interface section; a backward bypath so provided as to extend from the first processing block to the third processing block and having one end extending toward the neighborhood of the cassette section and the other end extending toward the neighborhood of the interface section, and a backward direct feeding mechanism movable along the backward bypath and so provided as to prevent an interference with the first main arm conveying mechanism, the backward direct feeding mechanism receiving the substrate developed by the developing unit from the third main arm conveying mechanism and directly feeding the substrate from the third processing block to the cassette section.
The above-mentioned apparatus has both the forward direct feeding mechanism and the backward direct feeding mechanism and, therefore, alleviates a burden on the first and third main arm conveying mechanisms and improves the throughput.
Further, the feeding of the substrate to the interface section may be effected by selectively using the forward direct feeding mechanism or the third main arm conveying mechanism. Further, the feeding of the substrate to the cassette section may be effected by selectively using the backward direct feeding mechanism or the first main arm conveying mechanism. These increase the degree of freedom with which the processing is done.
The present apparatus may further includes a first heating section provided in the first processing block and heat-baking the resist coating film formed on the substrate and a first sub-conveying mechanism provided in the first processing block to allow the substrate which is heat-baked by the first heating section to be passed to the forward direct feeding mechanism.
Still further, the present apparatus may include a third heating section provided in the third processing block and heat-baking the substrate having a resist coated film exposed with light and a third sub-conveying mechanism provided in the third processing block and passing the substrate which is heat-baked by the third heating section to the backward direct feeding mechanism.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.